Why do so many people still think the web is of no importance? Why do they mention their email address as contact on their websites if they don’t check them regularly?
What happened?
A while ago I had contacted a pilates trainer through the email address mentioned on her website. Soon she called me back to get to know more about what I was looking for and when we could meet. She said the condition for starting the training was an okay from my doctor though. She also asked me to contact her again to let her know.
Then the usual thing happened: the doctor (a specialist) wasn’t available in time and this couldn’t be done quickly on the phone. So I emailed the pilates trainer again telling her I’d better cancel the meeting and why and that I would get back to her again.
Today my phone rang: An upset pilates trainer complaining that I had missed the meeting. I told her that I had sent (again!) an email telling her that I had to cancel it. Her answer: “But you can’t do that! I don’t check them often!”
What?
Why does she mention this email address as contact on her website then?
Unfortunately this is not the first time something like this happened to me. It happens more often than you would imagine.
Another example: I once had regular contact with a company through email when suddenly one day I got no answer back. I emailed again, no answer. So I called the company to find out if perhaps there was a computer problem at their end.
The answer I got was alarming: “Oh, you know, the woman who checks our emails is on holiday now. But she’ll be back in two weeks.”
Are they serious?
How long will it take until these people realise that email addresses and websites aren’t there for fun. You wouldn’t stay away from your letterbox for two weeks either and not read your letters, would you? Hello? Email is the same: just digital and faster!
And then the same people wonder why their competition is getting more attention…
